Dehydrating means for multiple paneled refrigerating cases



Dec. 16, 1941.y o. J. VINCENT DEHYDRATING MEANS FOR MULTIPLE PANELEDREFRIGERATING GASES Filed July 25, 1939 '2 sheets-sheet 1v l 04750wENTcn'E -5 M ATTORNEYS IIIIIIII De@ 16, 1941- o. J. ylNcN-r- 2,266,346

DEHYDRATING MEANS FOR MULTIPLE ,PANELED `REF'RI(;`YERA'1IG CASES FiledJuly 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR B9 d. vinwn'l" -1 fl *s Patentedt Dec. 16, 1941 OFFICE DEHYDRATNG MEANS Fon MULTIPLE PANELEDREFMGERATING casas Otto J. vincent, Seattle, Wash. Application July 25,1939, serial No. 286,465

Claims.

kMy present invention relates to the art of refrigerated cabinets andmore particularly to that type of cabinet, in which relatively lowtemperature is maintained, which requires that a plurality ofglasspanels be used for the purpose o f insulating against the heat from theroom in which the refrigerator is placed, and more especially myinvention relates to a dehydrating means for multiple paneledrefrigerating cases.

My device consists of a removable cartridge container which employs ananhydrous material, such as calcium chloride, and is so arranged thatthe cartridge of the dehydrator/ will absorb the moisture in spacesbetween the various glass panels of the showcase. It is madeuin such away as to provide a sump` or reservoir so that as the moisture extractedfrom the space between the glass panels breaks down and liquies theabsorbent material, this liquidwill be retained within the sump yandwill not flood out or run down into the showcase itself or. in thespaces between the glass panelswhere it would be very difcult toremovethe unsightly material. In providing such a device it is necessarythat the deviceitself be fully'insulated so that it will not r cause apathway for heat toenter the 'cabinet and thus detract from the cabinetsefllciency. Further, it is necessaryto provide easyaccess of the air,vbetween the panels, into the cartridge -without any dangerof thecartridgeiluid getting out of the container.

outer panel in summer time-might get considerably warmer, Where therange might be up to one hundred degrees. If the vision is not to beim-4 be suitably connected into each of the air compartments formed bythe glass panels, to the end that al1 water vapor thereincan becollected into a moisture absorption material, such as activatedalumina, calcium chloride or other elements of t a similar character.

VWith the introduction of frozen foods, such as t meat ,andv fruitandvegetables, it Ais necessary that. these sharply frozenmaterials bemaintained at a temperature below freezing and in some casesconsiderably below freezing, sometimes even near-zero. Under suchconditions itfis necessary that the cabinet be adequately insulatedandthe 'insulation ofzthe walls, and sides of the cabiney are relativelysimple problems, being merely necessary to vhavesuitable'l insulation ofadequate amount. However, a' showcaseytoserve its purpose, must be*glassjpaneled so that shop- Pose f my invention to `provai@cabmets'haviag.

a plurality of compartments formed byf-spaced glass l panels.-A .Fornear -zei-otemperatures f it has been found that lusually four/suchcompartments are 'particularly desirable, and the difterenceintemperature "between the innermost :glass panel vand the outermost onewill be usually-between sixty l and f seventy f' degrees. ,In somecases, .the

The principal object of my invention is, therefore, to provide a singlecartridge which will serve a plurality of air compartments in ashowcase, and which will remove'the water content from the air includedbetween the successive glass panels.

-Another object of my invention is to provide a unit cartridge whichwill be so arranged that it will serve its intended purpose withoutproviding an easy pass for the entrance of heat into the cabinet. t

A furtherk object of my invention is to provide means that will guide.any liquication 'of the absorption" cartridge into a sump containedwithin my device so thatit will not flow out into the glassed-incompartments or into the case vitself.`V v Y if `A further object of my-present invention is to provide an absorption cartridge having a sumpin which to collect the liquified cartridge material so that it may beall removed at once.

yA further object of myinvention is the provision of a plurality oflinger portions of my unit containerwhich can ,be y extended intov theglasse'd-in compartments and further assist in the extractionof moisturetherefrom, particularlyA when theglass panels -are'of considerablelength, and :yet be all 'removed as vcneunit for cleaning` or renewingthecartridge.- 1 l Otherand more specitlc objects will. be' appar-y entyfrom the following description taken in' vconnection. with thedrawingawherein i 1 Figure `1- is a-,perspective ,view'of adisplaycabinet of` thetype 'to `which my device ls adaptable,

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along a longitudinal plane throughone of the glassed-in compartments.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view through the opposite end of thecabinet as that shown in Figure 2, so as to show in the background theperforated end of my removable cartridge.

Figure 6 is a face view of mycartridge as viewed from the air inductionside thereof, with the car tridge inclined to the angle at which it willnormally be installed and showing the line of the sump and the degree towhich it may be filled before it will overflow.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary views of a modied form of my devicein which ngers are provided which extend outwardly into the air chambersbetween the glass panels; Figure '7 is a front view, partly in section,taken in a plane parallel to the sloping front of the cabinet; Figure 8is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 ofFigure 7; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional ,view taken along the line 9 9of Figure 8. y

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the major axis of mydevice, showing the unit as of Figure 6 in sectional -view to betterillustrate itsconstruction.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line lI-II of Figure10.

. outer cover member I6 made usually of wood or dense press-board overwhich is formed prefer ably a metal covering I8 which is turned down onthe edges so it will form an attractive, protective cartridge material,when reduced to a.A liquidby moisture absorption, will not run down thecovering plate or plates as 42 and 43, and to this end I have providedscreens as 45 and 46, which are covering, and also to assist-inprotecting and securing'a resilient gasket as 20 usually made of rubberor similar material, so as to fo'rm a hermetic seal when pressed snuglyinto place.

My device is provided with chamber 22 lled with a suitable insulatingmaterial of a thickness comparable to that of the refrigerator or atleast equalling the same in efficiency. This is housed in either awoodframe box 2 4 or made of some in cake or coarse granulated formforease of handling. It is then necessary to provide ready contact betweenthis cartridge and the air in the compartments formed as by the glasspanels 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36. Two methods have presented themselves; oneis merely to provide a plurality of holes or openings 38, having thesedisposed in rbws so that when a cartridge is in place each row of holeswill be substantially centered on the compartments formed by the glasspanels. x

It will `be noted, particularly in'Flgures 6, l0 and 11, that the rowsof holes extend only to a predetermined `horizontal 4line as 40, so thatthe portion of chamber 30 below this line will be a closed sump in whichany materials which have been liquefied will drain and be held untildisf posed of. It is further very desirable that the ing dischargePassages, Said means comprising a spaced inwardly from the perforatedmetal plates so that any of the cartridge material which breaks downfrom the moisture content will run down the screen which is disposedbehind the perforated plates and the slightly colored, syrupy materialwill not be visible through the display window of the case, but willdrain down into the sump", where it will be retained.

- In the form shown in Figure 6 the screens 45 and 46 are relativelyclose together so as to give an adequate screening of any broken-downmaterial. In the form, however, shown in Figures 7 and 9, plate 42 andscreen 45'will be disposed atthe ends of the fingers 60 which areconnected to my removable unit,.and areiil1ed with the moistureabsorbing material. Each of these fingers must bei lprovided at itsouter extremity with the metal plate 42 and the inner screen 45. Then,where these 'join the main compartment 30, the second screen 46 and itsprotective plate 43 is disposed with cutouts therein so that the fingermaterial can be Joined with that of the cartridge. It is only in certaintypes -of installations that these fingers are required but vwhen theseconditions are encountered, especially where the area of the airchambers is considerable, and the temperature ranges between the outsideof the cabinet and the inside areconsiderable, then these become verydesirable, and add a great deal to the efliciency of my unit, it\ havingbeen found that these fingers extending into the air chambers are inposition to take care of the air as it circulates within the singlechamber, and in this way the moisture can be removed from the entirearea'in many cases more effectively than the conventional type ofdehydrators, long used in ice boxes, which consist of a long tube lyingin the bottom of the compartment between usually only two glass platesforming a single compartment. The circulation of the air within thesloping compartment works in conjunction with my removable cartridgemuch like the ice of a refrigerator or the cooling coils of an electricrefrigerator. In this instance, a certain amount of heat is created inthe chemical reaction involved by breaking down the moisture absorptionmaterial, and this induces a circulation of air that makes my devicefunction in .ing drawings are believed to clearly disclose a preferredembodiment. of my invention, but it will be understood that thisdisclosure is merely illustrative and that such changes in the invenation may be made as are fairly within the scope and spirit of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. Dehydrating means for multiple paneled refrigerating cases of thetype wherein a number of transparent wallsspaced apart from eachv othervare positioned in a case to form a plurality of adjacent separated deadair compartments havremovable container positioned in a wall oi saidcase and having a periorate wall disposed adja' cent to the saiddischarge passages from the dead air compartments, the perforations insaid wall being grouped so that the perforationsvof an individualgrouplie substantially proximate to the discharge passages'irom a singledead air cornpartment, each group containing a greater number ofperiorations'v than the group interiorly disposed thereof, a reticulatedmoisture draining screen positioned near the interior of said peri'oratewall. an inner periorate wall in said container spaced from said firstmentioned wall, a

reticulated moisture draining screen adjacent the inner periorate wall,and a hygroscopic material in saidcontainer for absorbing moisture fromsaid dead air compartments.

2. Dehydrating means for multiple paneled reirigerating cases of thetype wherein a number of transparent walls spaced apart from each otherarempositioned in a case to form a plurality of adjacent separated deadair compartments having discharge passages, said means comprising aremovable container positioned in a wall lofsaid case and having aperforate wall disposed adjacent to the lsaid discharge passages fromthe dead air compartments, the perforations in said wall being lgroupedso that the perforations of an individual group lie substantiallyproximate to the discharge passages from a single dead air compartment,each group containing a greater number of perforations than the groupinteriorly disposed thereof, and a hygroscopic material in saidcontainer for absorbing moisture from said dead air compartments. f

4. Dehydrating means for multiple paneled refrigerating cases of thetype wherein a number of transparent walls spaced apart from each otherare positioned in a case to form a plurality of adjacent separated deadair compartments having discharge passages, said means comprising aremovable container positioned in a wall of said case and havingseparate passage means zone, and a hygroscopic material in saidcontainer terial in said container `for absorbing moistureV i from saiddead air compartments.

3. Dehydrating means for multiple paneled refrigerating casesV of thetype wherein a number oi transparent walls spaced apart from each otherare positioned in a case to form a plurality of adjacent separated deadair compartments having discharge passages, said means comprising aremovable container positioned in a disposed adjacent each 'said'discharge passage from the dead air compartments, the cross-sectionalarea of the passage' means associatedwith the dead air compartmentprogressively decreasing from the outermost zone of the innermost forabsorbing moisture from said dead air compartments.

5. Dehydrating means for multiple paneled refrigerating cases of thetype wherein a number-ot transparent walls spaced apart from each otherare positioned in a case toform a plurality of adjacent separated deadair discharge passages. said means comprising a removable containerpositioned in a wall of said case and having separate passage iingersdisposed adjacent each -said discharge passage from the dead aircompartments, the cross-sectional area of the passage fingers associatedwith the dead air compartments progressively decreasing from theoutermost z one to the 'innermost zone, and av hygroscopic material insaid container for absorbing 4moisture from said dead air compartments.

01'1'0 J. VINCENT.

said case and having a perforate wall disposed compartments having

